SPACES FOR PLAY, TERRITORY AND MEMORY:

CALON ROMANI AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL INTERSECTIONS IN QUISSAMÃ - RJ AND PENEDO - AL

Abstract

This article examines how Calon Romani children's playful practices in the cities of Quissamã (RJ) are articulated with territorial dynamics (Mura, 2017) in Penedo (AL) and memory regimes (Pacheco de Oliveira,, 2016), promoting reflections on the full citizenship of minoritized groups. A methodological approach integrating ethnography and photoethnography is employed, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentary analysis, complemented by visual records of daily life. The concepts of “campo-brincante,” “criante-brincante,” and “criante-narrante” (Author 1, 2023) are articulated in dialogue with ethnographic data from Author 2 (2023) to highlight play as a practice of resistance and identity construction. The study reveals strategies of cultural affirmation and the resignification of urban spaces, demonstrating that the symbolic appropriation of public areas by children strengthens community ties and contributes to the appreciation of traditional knowledge. The findings indicate that these practices, although permeated by social inequalities and pejorative representations, are crucial factors for recognition and collective agency. It is concluded that the playful dimension amplifies both children's and adults' voices in the claim for rights, highlighting the need for public policies sensitive to the ethnic-cultural specificities of the Calon Romani. Photoethnography, by recording images and narratives, enhances the understanding of ongoing social processes and reinforces the importance of inclusive actions that embrace multiple ways of being and living.